10/22/2012

While I was in Calgary I had a free hour or so and decided to do some site seeing. I went past my old schools and even drove downtown. Things looked the same but seemed so different than I remember.

This is my old Junior High School. It was originally built out of sandstone. It is a French immersion school now.

This is my old high school....Crescent Heights High. It looks just like it did when I went there. I remember spending lots of time outside this door with my friends.....sometimes instead of going to class.

I drove past the park to the edge of the hill where there is a beautiful view of downtown Calgary. This is the spot where kids used to go to "park". It's a very busy road now and the parking spots are paved. It's now a popular spot for families to go to watch fireworks and get a great view of the city.

I even took a drive downtown past the Calgary Tower. It sure brought back memories.....

I made glass flowers for my two daughter-in-laws Stephanie and Ryanne.

My granddaughter Madisynne loves having her picture taken. Since I live so far away from my family I try to make a special day for each of my grandkids. This was "our day".

10/21/2012

I can't believe it's been 3 months since I've posted here! I can only attribute it to my busy summer and a great trip to Calgary to visit my family. I took lots of pictures......

My friend Kim drove from Seattle to Calgary with me. We stopped for the weekend at her "cabin" in Fairmont, BC. The weather was perfect and my son Ryan, daughter-in-law Stephanie and grandkids Declan and Alina came for the weekend.

The view from Kim & Fred's balcony was breathtaking!

.....and Kim is even growing flowers in her yard.

We enjoyed Kim and Fred's hospitality and the kids had so much fun! Ryan and Declan got to go for a ride on Fred's quad and played soccer.

Alina was happy just to sit on the quad with the guys.

Kim and Fred had their adorable grandson Finnley for the weekend as well. He loved driving his Papa's tractor.

07/09/2012

I've been making new jewelry and decided to join the Edmonds Farmers Market this summer. It's a great market full of fresh fruit, vegetables and beautiful flowers. My favorites are the jewelry, photography, art glass and assorted handmade crafts. Everything has to be handmade and juried to get in. There is just about anything you can imagine.

Tricia, a friend, shared the booth with me and brought her cute owl canvases, handmade purses and altered jewelry boxes. I think they were a great compliment to my jewelry. We're planning to be there again this Saturday.

This is me standing in front of the sign Tony made me from the photograph I use on my business cards.

This is Tricia with some of her canvases and a popular jewelry box. It sold and another person came back and wanted it as well. When you find something you have to buy it right away or it could be gone before you get back. There are so many one-of-a-kind treasures at this market.

The Edmonds Farmers Market is on Saturdays from 9am until 3pm. If you're in the area come on out and say hi!

06/12/2012

I know.....I've been neglecting my blog again but I have a good reason. My sister Linda was here and we were creating. We had SO much fun! She is an artist and lives in Victoria, B.C. She offered to "help me" with a picture for our front hall. My contribution was: growing the flowers we used, pressing them and tearing up tissue to use in the picture. This is Linda at work pouring resin.

This is the picture before it was framed.

The resin brings out all of the different textures and dimensions in the picture. I love it!

I've been making more jewelry for my shop as well. I really like the Steampunk look. These pendants can be worn by men or women.....and are especially popular with teens in Seattle right now.

Come on over to my shop and take a better look! I'm trying to update my blog more often but I'm in the mood for creating right now. Keep checking back for new work.

05/17/2012

I added one of my favorite bracelets to my shop today. It is part of my "Steampunk" collection. If you don't know what Steampunk is this is my simplified explanation. It refers to a style and a philosophy. It incorporates elements taken from the steam power age such as gears, keys and watches and blends Victorian romantic with Industrial technology. It stands for creative, self-reliant, optimism with a futuristic philospophy. I love the look!

05/15/2012

Thank you for following the 101010 Project! It has been a great experience for me and has helped me to define and clarify what I want my creative business to be. It has also helped me to 'step out' of my comfort zone and put myself 'out there' more. Thank you to Robin for creating this project and to the other participants for your support. If you missed some of the soulful goodness that has been shared, make sure and head over to the blog the holds ALL THE DETAILS on the project click here.

Robin has created another session with another set of participants, their businesses and a new set of questions. It starts on June 15th.

Now for the winner of the dragonfly earrings.... Leslie Jackson Ackman. Congratulations Leslie! Please email me your mailing address and I'll send them off to you.

Thanks for stopping by! Check back tomorrow for more new jewelry and to learn more about my next exciting project!

Creator and teacher of the popular ecourse “Flying Lessons: Tips and Tricks to Help Your Creative Business Soar”. I enjoyed the course and learned so much. I feel like I can relate with Kelly because she was also formerly a Social Worker and is now making her way, and succeeding, as an artist with her own creative business. I continue to follow her blog and connect with other students who took her ecourse.

Deryn blends vintage treasures, religious pieces and faceted and semi-precious stones into unique one-of-a-kind handmade adornments. I have followed her via her blog for several years. I love her work! She has her own style that is both unique and meaningful. This is something I am still trying to develop in my jewelry…..my own style. My goal in the next few years is to take some of her on-line ecourses as well as personally attend the Art Retreat at the Beach in Coronado, California. Check out her blog and follow her links to her jewelry porfolio, her on-line classes and her 'in-person' classes to learn more about her and to see some of her amazing jewelry.

Thanks for following the 101010 Project. Tomorrow will be my final wrap-up post AND the winner of my jewelry giveaway....the dragonfly earrings. Don't forget to leave a comment on my blog by midnight tonight to win!

05/11/2012

I will be wrapping up my part of the 101010 Project on Monday May 14th with my answer to the question "Who is your business muse?" Today I am featuring creative business owner Sonya McCllough. To learn more about Sonya check out her website.

Sonya McCllough

Years in Business = 12

I’m this crazy JESUS loving creative … with 2 children living smack in the middle of Tennessee. The seeds of my creativity were watered with knitting needles, yarn and nine kittens on a rock covered patio in the mid sixties. Today, we hold the fort down with a few less kittens (3) … and thankfully my creative edge remains intact. I’m often inspired by some odd ball stuff & compelled to create by the sweet whispers of the HOLY Spirit. An idea generator am I. Creative collaboration is a sweet spot with me and many have locked creative hands with me to work on projects like The Bond & Respond Quilt project of 2010, Inspired Studios Magazine & The Creative Biz Marathon. My service to HIM in the body of the church currently is that of Women’s Ministry Coordinator, Southeast Baptist Church Murfreesboro TN.

05/10/2012

Brief Bio: An artist and a mother of two young girls, Kelly Thiel lives in South Carolina, USA creating award-winning clay and bronze sculptures, as well as doing art journaling and mixed media paintings. She just finished building a new studio at her home, and is dying to log some real hours in there! Kelly is doing her best to live life to the fullest and enjoy each day, with her art and her family.

I haven’t found one person that fits all the requirements. I’ve started to look more closely at a handful of predominantly clay artists whose careers I’d sort of like to follow. The other side of it is professional photographers. My husband, who is a pro photographer, introduces me to other blogs and business ideas that are popular in the photography world. They seem to have a lot of ideas and thoughts that I find to be more exciting and forward-thinking. I’m still working on this, and I am excited by the thought of finding the one person to be my MUSE.

To learn more about the 101010 Project and view more questions click here.

Don't forget to stop by my shop and leave a message here to win a pair of dragonfly earrings. The drawing will be on Tuesday May 15th.

I would never have thought that painting and creativity would be in my daily life and even less my business until not so long ago. I believe that nothing happens by coincidence and so that I do have powerful messages to share through what I create. I am a Mixed Media artist because my heart and soul need to play and discover all the time and Mixed Media allows me to mix and match techniques and materials.

My artwork usually represents strong whimsical women (that I called «Nixies») who have a positive message to deliver to the world, to you. I believe in the important power of Positive Affirmations and of Gratitude, that both guide me in my creative process. I am a life-long learner, and love to unravel new ways to make my path lighter and stronger. Healing is a huge part of my life path, I am now also a Practical Reiki Master and noticed how it shifted the way it affects my creativity and the entire process of it.

I am also an art journaler and is currently a teacher in the art journaling collaborative playground 21 Secrets that opened its doors in April 2012.

It’s not an easy question. I don’t think I have somebody specific in mind. But any woman who had figured out how to have a thriving creative business while managing a social life, a family life and a personal life in general is my Muse.

05/08/2012

We have had company this week. My sister-in-law Annie is here from Tuscon, Arizona. She is an avid gardener so besides taking a trip to Flower World Annie made me a new garden. She did most of the planning and digging and I helped. We did it all in one day! I'm so excited to have more space for flowers. I wish I would have taken "before" pictures so you could see the big difference. Along the fence used to be weeds and rocks. What a difference!

This is a little writing corner we made in another corner of the yard. I had an old iron sewing machine base and Annie added a piece of marble to it. We got it and the log from my daughter-in-law Shannon. . I still have to add plants and rearrange it a bit but I can see myself sitting outside and making jewelry this summer.

Today I'm featuring Jan Avellana on our 101010 Project. She lives in Hawaii and besides running her creative business she is the mother to two young boys.

Jan Avellana – Hazelnut Cottage

Who is your business muse?

I’d have to say that Kelly Rae Roberts is my business muse. The woman has reached a level of financial success and artistic stride that I can only dream about reaching one day. Oh how I aspire! This being said, there are so many other artists who are perhaps lesser known that are making a very happy and meaningful living for themselves and their families, each having found their OWN path. I am inspired by each and every artist out there who has found a way to incorporate their loves and passions into their lives, whether or not they make art for a “living”.

Jan's bio:

Jan Avellana is a mixed-media artist with a passion for art making, books, deep conversations, and seaside adventures with her three favorite men (ages 5, 8 and 42). Jan spent the better part of her adult life trying very hard to be a grown-up with a traditional job. The birth of her two sons released her to follow her heart and reclaim the artist she has always been. In 2007, Jan created a line of silver hand stamped jewelry under the Hazelnut Cottage brand. Today, she revels in mixed-media messes, making heartfelt connections with others through art and words.

In print, you can find Jan in “The Pulse of Mixed Media”, “Inside the Creative Studio”, “Artful Blogging, Winter 2011” and “ClothPaperScissors Studios”. In life, you can find her immersed in the studio or at the beach (with paint in her hair). Online, you can find Jan here:

Born, raised, and living in the Chicago land area, this happily chaotic soul is definitely a newbie in the universe of creative businesses. Last August, after 25 years in healthcare, I was released from days of insurance and hospitals and I started listening to my inner artist. My dream, From Chaos Comes Happiness, was born. I'm not doing it alone, though, as my support system is wide and deep with a husband who encourages me and two beautiful daughters who inspire me. While I have a long way to go in this business of mine, I'm determined to remain true to who I am, and stopping just long enough to smell the roses along the way.

10. Who is your business muse?

Like many dreamers and "flyers" from Kelly Rae Roberts "Flying Lessons" e-course, I would be amiss to not mention Kelly Rae Roberts as my business muse. For years I have followed her presence online and watched as she was lead by her inner voice to a world of success. She continues to expand her business by leaps and bounds, and I am in awe the work, dedication, and success she has had. In addition, I find myself a great admirer of the business of Teahouse Studio and Mati Rose (and partners). Teahouse Studio is a dream to me, I only wish I lived closer so I could move in! Mati's art is so whimsical and bright, it makes me smile each time I see it. I love what she has done. And Donna Downey . . . creative and business genius. There are so many more out there who have done it, and each time I stumble upon a new business and artist who inspires me, I soak up all the positive energy I can and tell myself, "You can do this, too! Just . . . DO IT!" My wish for us all . . . that we ALL do it!

05/04/2012

Today I introduce you to Robin Norgren. She is the creator and organizer of this project.

Name of business: Robin Norgren Studios

Years in business: 4 years

Brief Bio:

I strive to live life to the fullest. No matter what. I have grown into myself through my love for Jesus and HIS LOVE FOR ME. Art, motherhood, business, creativity and yoga are the cherished vehicles for this deepening. Life can be FULL, JUICY, MEANINGFUL, PURPOSE FILLED, LOVELY. I want to help you come to your fullest life. I create workbooks, ecourses and workshops that chronicle my change and growth and offer you ways to find out what YOUR FULLEST life will be.

She encourages me to do a little more of what I want to do in business and a little less of what I don’t want to do every day.

She challenges me to launch my products and services and learn from it.

She asks me what I need to stop doing this week.

She sends a burning question to my inbox every week that helps me stay authentic to what I want to be in life.

She scoffs at the idea that there is such a thing as life balance.

She trusts her instincts.

Yeah, she helps me to be a little more myself and what I want to stand for in life and in business.

Danielle LaPorte

To learn more about the 101010 Project and view the other questions click here.

Today in my shop I have added three new pendants made from natural materials. I coated this shell with resin to give it strength and seal in a geniune fresh water pearl. It is accented with a silver sanddollar charm and a vile of sand with semi-precious stone chips in it and another fresh water pearl. I love the 'beachy' feel it has.

As an expert, Alease lends knowledge to the press, editorials and serves as a subject-matter expert. She is a sought-after presenter in the areas of creative marketing, personal image, branding and fashion.

As a professor, Alease is committed to her student’s education, furthering their exposure and considers their success a direct reflection of herself.

As a mixed-media artist, Alease participated in several exhibitions. Wishing to market her artistic endeavors, she found little advice available. This, coupled with her passion for education – she tracked her online marketing & branding journey and founded The School of Creative Business.

Brief Bio: An artist with a short attention span, I create work in artisan jewelry, fine art photography, mixed media, and book arts. I've also been known to sew a thing or two. I work full-time by day as the Director of Student Life and Leadership Development at a large four-year college in Florida, and am the lucky mama to wonderfully sweet eight-year-old twin red-headed daughters. I have been married to a handsome man of great patience who's put up with my art shenanigans for 17 years now.

10.Who is your business muse? Maybe this is a little old-fashioned and corny, but my muses are my children. Though I’ve been a creative person since I was a child myself, it was the birth of my twin girls that really pushed me to move forward to creating a formalized business. When my girls were born, I wanted one of those mother’s bracelets that included your children’s names. I looked online and saw several styles, none of which were less than $100. At that point I said, “I can do this.” While I’d dabbled in all sorts of arts and crafts up to that point, I had never made jewelry, so I headed down to my local bead shop, showed the wonderful ladies there what I wanted to do, and got started. That was just the beginning. As I was growing my jewelry designs skills, I discovered the wonderful world of artists blogs, which led to me mixed media and reignited my love of photography. So here I am today, all mixed up creating in a variety of media and loving every minute of it. And even as my girls were that little muse of a kick start to get me moving, they are still what keeps me going. I love to create with them. I love to create for them. I love to see the little sparks in their eyes as they bring their creations to life. And all this comes together with our annual Mermaids and Mamas Artful Adventure, this year in its third year. My girls and I gather together with other mamas and daughters and spend a weekend in a fun little camp making art. It’s a wonderful thing! You can read more about it here: http://purplecottageretreats.blogspot.com

05/01/2012

It's finally here! Besides the re-opening of my etsy shop today our 10Women 10Businesses 10Questions begins. The question I will be covering on my blog is: Who is your business muse? Each day I will post a new response from one of the participants.

Stephanie Amos

Name of business: KoiStudios

Years in business: 7 years

10. Who is your business muse? My business muse just so happens to be Robin Norgren, the creator of this blog hop! I have been in awe of this amazing woman since I met her online a couple years ago through the e-course, Flying Lessons. She not only is a mother, a military wife and a business owner, but a faithful follower of God who shares her love of life and her faith with everyone she meets. Robin is honest about who she is and what she wants out of her business. Just this year, I met Robin in person for the first time. I felt as if I’ve known her my entire life! Robin inspires me to make business goals, learn and connect with others like us, and no matter what…move forward and never give up!

Brief Bio:

I live in the mountains of Colorado with my amazing husband, three loving dogs, two handsome horses, and the queen of all cats. When I'm not out riding, I am usually in one of the two studios at our home where I paint, throw, sculpt and shoot my camera. I am more or less a free spirit in the sense that I can never sit still and am easily distracted by my interest in trying something new. I am fascinated with color and texture which is not limited to just art, but architecture as well. I love to travel and have been to many beautiful places and look forward to seeing the rest of the world real soon.

Don't forget to stop by my etsy shop. I'll be adding new pieces every day. Leave a message here and you could win these earrings. A draw will be made at the end of the 101010 Project on May 15th (also my oldest son's birthday!)

04/28/2012

I've been working on the 10Women10Businesses10Questions Project all day. I'm so excited to see what it will bring for those of us that participated and our businesses. I have enjoyed connecting with other small business owners and discussing our dreams and goals for our creative businesses. I'm still getting clarification about how this blog hop will work but I'll post it here as soon as I'm sure. Check out the link above!

I'm anxiously trying to get my jewelry photographed and add it to my etsy shop for the grand re-opening on May 1st. Keep checking back here for updates and maybe even some pictures of new jewelry and prizes.

Here is another project I'm still working on. I finally poured the last layer of resin on this little table. It has to be warm (above 70F) and dust-free for the resin to set properly with no bubbles. Unfortunately the bottom shelf has some dust bubbles in the resin. I guess this one will be my "practice" one. I still have to sand the edges and paint the wood black.

Remember to check back in the next few days for updates. Thanks for stopping by!

04/19/2012

For awhile I've been thinking I needed some help with my jewelry business.....what I want this blog to be, what I want my business to be and writing it down in a way that I get my message across to others. I want to attract people to support me.....and the important part.....support my jewelry business.

Two years ago I took a fantastic ecourse put on by one of my favorite artists Kelly Rae Roberts. It was called Flying Lessons: Tips and Tricks to Help Your Creative Business Soar. Through that course I joined the Flying Lessons Facebook group and have been able to follow other students from the course. I've seen so many people start and grow their creative businesses. I've learned so much but I haven't been using it to grow my business into what I wanted it to be. Did I even know what I wanted?

That brought me to another ecourse called Mind.Body.Soul Ecourse. It is an art journalling course put on by Leslie Jackson Ackman. Leslie also took Flying Lessons as did most of the other students in her ecourse. It has been such a learning experience for me! I now feel like I'm on my way to figuring out what I want my life to be and following through with my dreams.....FINALLY!

Here are some of the art journalling pages I've completed and some of my pages that are still in progress. I'm finding it difficult since I'm not an artist....at least not a painter or multi-media artist. I think I'll stick to jewelry!

Sharing my artwork is a huge step for me! It's an area that I'm not at all confident in. The messages that I'm sharing and what I'm learning about myself and my dreams are the important part. I know I need to put myself "out there" if I want to succeed.

04/06/2012

I've been enjoying the spring-like weather in Seattle every chance I get. With all the rain we get here it's nice to see the sun! Here are a few pictures I took last weekend. We went to West Seattle and could see the clouds hanging over downtown Seattle while we had beautiful sunshine there.

This is my husband, the photographer. He always comes up with amazing photographs!

This is the famous troll under the Aurora bridge in Freemont. It's sad that it has been damaged by people who have no respect for this incredible art. People in the community have now banded together to repair it and take care of the grounds around it now. It's nice to see that some people care for their community!

03/31/2012

We have had our 9 year old grandson staying with us for a few weeks on and off after his mom had surgery. Sam is very creative and when he's not playing video games he's drawing and making things. Last week we had to make a special trip to the craft store to get some new supplies for his special project....Angry Birds. He decided to start an Angry Birds Fan Club.

These are the Angry Birds he made and his drawing of Mega Man (I think).

I had to request it but I got an invitation into the Angry Birds Fan Club along with my very own Angry Bird!

03/18/2012

One of the most successful artists from the Delightfully Eclectic Show was Karen Lancey. Her metal art was unusual and attracted alot of attention. She recycles metal objects such as old knives, wrenches and spatulas to make the figures. The bird's nest in one of the previous pictures was made from nails. Karen's website is www.metalmermaid.com and she does custom orders. She made the chandelier above her. It holds candles and needs a sturdy hook to hold it up because it is very heavy.

Her mermaid was very popular and even had her own jewelry. The couple who bought it said they had the perfect place to put it.

Here are a few more pictures of my pieces that were in the show.

These earrings were made with Swarovski champagne crystals with brass earwires. They sparkle in the light.

A copper pendant with a wire-wrapped citrine.

These Vintage look pearl earrings were sold and the woman who bought them lost one the first time she wore them. I'm making her another one and shipping it to her. It's a good thing I took a picture of them because I don't usually make two pairs of the same earrings.

I didn't realize my earring display had so much lint on it. We have 3 cats so they must have shared some of their hair with me.

Finally my other favorite Steampunk pendant with a genuine turquois.

I have a few more pictures of one of the other artists with her work but I didn't hear back from her yet so I won't post them until she gives me the OK.

03/11/2012

I'm back from Victoria and the Delightfully Eclectic art show. My sister Linda was the talented artist behind the show. She planned, organized and set up the show. It was very successful while I was there and hopefully for this past week it has been as well. The show ends today so hopefully I won't have any jewelry to bring back home to put in my etsy shop. I will be making more jewelry to put in my shop soon and I'll let you know when I have it listed.

This is my table of crystal jewelry with my shell jewelry hanging in the window and my earrings on the dreamcatcher on the wall.

Linda made the shelf on the small table to the right of my table. It is beautifully decorated and covered with a coat of resin to give it a shiny finish and protect it. I had some of my jewelry draped over it.

This was my table of Steampunk jewelry. It was in front of the sunroom window and had alot of sunlight showing it off. This was the day of our "Meet the Artists" reception so we had tables of delicious food in the sunroom for our guests.

These are a few of the pieces I had for sale in the show. This one was so popular that I am making another one to ship to Manitoba. A woman and her husband came to the show on Saturday and her husband came back Sunday to buy this pendant for his wife's birthday in June. It was already sold so I offered to make another one and ship it to him.

This is one of my favorite pendants. It is an agate with a brass dragonfly wrapped around it and some dangling Swarovski crystals and brass beads. The picture doesn't do it justice. The agate is much prettier in person.

This is one of my favorite bracelets. It has Swarovski crystals set in brass flowers with dangling crystals and a dragonfly accent. I get so many compliments when I wear it that I made one for the show. I added more flowers to this bracelet though and it sparkles in the light.

I'll be adding more pictures of the other artists' work later this week. There was some incredible 3D metal work and some amazing paintings and photographs in the show.

I'm getting my art supplies ready to take an art journalling ecourse tomorrow. If you're interested you can click on the "Mind. Body. Soul" button on the right side of my blog. It's FREE!

02/14/2012

I hope you all had a wonderful day and were able to spread some happiness to a special someone in your life. My amazing husband showered me with gifts but the most important thing he gave me is his love. I am lucky to have such a loving considerate husband.
I spent the day working on new jewelry for an upcoming show I'm participating in. I also made new earring tags out of canvas. I like how they turned out.
You are invited to the Delightfully Eclectic Show in Victoria, BC starting on February 29, 2012.

I thought today would be a good day to get back to posting on my blog. I have no excuses and I've been thinking about it for a long time. I just never got around to it. Do you know what I mean?

Here's an update of what I've been doing since my last post....3 months ago. I can't believe it's been that long!

In October I got a job with the Girls and Boys Club of Edmonds. I worked as a site director in their after school program at Lynndale Elementary School. I loved it but it was alot harder than I thought it would be. I was suffering with arthritis in my knee and was in desperate need of a knee replacement. I worked through the kids Christmas break from school but found it was so hard on my knee. I quit just after Christmas. I still miss the job, my colleges and especially the kids!

In October and November, while I was working, I was also making jewelry for two Christmas Craft Fairs I had signed up for. I enjoyed doing them but it was alot of work! These are pictures from the Lynnwood High School Vendor Splendor.

This was the booth next to me. She knit about 5 hats during the day while she was sitting there!

This cute dog was all dressed up and going around visiting people. He was so friendly and had different colored eyes.

I didn't take any pictures of the Dicken's Fair I participated in. We were so busy I didn't even think of it!

Stay tuned for more tomorrow and an update on the next show coming up!

10/30/2011

It's a rainy day in Seattle. I need to work on jewelry for my next show on November 26th at the new Lynnwood High School. Instead I'm playing with my new flower press. It is amazing! You put the freshly cut flowers in between the cloth, put the felt pieces over, press them between this pottery press and put it in the microwave for 30 seconds. It's SO easy!

The flowers don't even discolor when they dry out. I'm planning to use them to put on a table I'm refinishing. Look for a picture when it's finished.

09/24/2011

I had a successful day at the Westport Seafood Festival. It was a perfect sunny day with great friends and a fairly good crowd. I think it will be on my agenda again next year.

I was pretty busy so I didn't take many pictures.

My friend Debbie lives in Westport. She sells sterling chains and rings so she shared my booth. Her chains complimented my jewelry and I was able to change some dragonfly earrings into a pendant for a customer. Debbie is in the background in this picture talking on her cell phone. A friend from the Portland area also came and brought the canopy we used. She put her beaded amulet bags on the table and they attracted alot of attention.

This picture shows the tray I made. I pressed flowers, glued them to the inside of the tray and poured resin over them. It creates a plastic-like coating that withstands heat and cold. Alot of people were interested in the starfish I coated with resin. I was going to make mobiles with them but I didn't have time before the festival. Maybe next year...

My husband put some of his photographs out too. They were a good draw for men waiting for their wives who were looking at jewelry. His famous dragonfly picture was popular. It was used to make my business cards.

I had stiff competition right across from my booth. Angi lives in Westport and besides her jewelry she makes cute bags from recycled tshirts, little paperbag albums and tie-dyed onesies. I love the unique displays she made for her jewelry. For earrings she had two lamps mounted on a slice of log and had holes punched around the bottom of the lampshades. They are in the background in this picture. She made the rustic wooden fence surrounding her booth as well. We exchanged cards and hopefully will meet again next year.

I'm taking a short break then I'll be getting ready for Christmas. I'll be participating in two local shows this year. Hopefully I will also have time to add jewelry to my etsy shop soon.